Elon Musk’s X has officially updated its policies to allow NSFW (Not Safe For Work) content, albeit with certain restrictions. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, now permits users to share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behaviour, provided it’s properly labelled and not prominently displayed.
According to X’s updated usage policies, the platform believes that “users should be able to create, distribute and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed,” considering it a legitimate form of artistic expression. However, there are strict guidelines in place to balance this freedom, particularly concerning exposure to adult content for minors and users who opt not to view such material.
“We also prohibit content promoting exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualisation or harm to minors, and obscene behaviours. We also do not allow sharing Adult Content in highly visible places such as profile photos or banners,” X’s Adult Content Policy says.
X defines adult content as “any consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behaviour that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal.” This includes AI-generated, photographic, or animated content such as cartoons, hentai, or anime, as well as explicit or implied sexual behaviour.
To regulate the sharing of adult content, X encourages users to adjust their media settings to place all images and videos behind a content warning. Additionally, users can add a one-time content warning on individual posts. Those under 18 or who do not include a birth date on their profile cannot view posts marked for adult content.
Failure to mark posts appropriately may result in account settings being adjusted by X. Users can report unmarked adult content or other violations through the app’s reporting features. The platform assures users that they may appeal a decision if they believe a mistake has been made.
Previously, X did not explicitly ban porn, leading it to become a platform for NSFW creators, particularly following the launch of X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue). NSFW content could potentially offer an additional revenue stream for X, which has experienced a decline in ad sales since Elon Musk’s takeover.
Follow FE Tech Bytes on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook